


The Trouble with Actual Party Cannons

by Kiranokira



Series: The Tanabata Challenge [2]
Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Bubblegum the Workaholic, Established Relationship, F/F, Marceline Tries to Be the Adult in Their Relationship, Post-Canon, Science as Third Wheel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-06-23 22:16:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19710556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiranokira/pseuds/Kiranokira
Summary: Unfortunately, when Bonnibel and Marceline test out the exploding part, the resulting shrapnel isn’t quite as small as Bonnibel was anticipating and a thick shard ends up wedged into her arm.“Ow,” she says. More displeased with her calculations than concerned with the pain, she pulls out a notebook to stare her numbers into submission while Marceline sighs and floats into the house for the bandages.





	The Trouble with Actual Party Cannons

**Author's Note:**

> This year, to celebrate the Tanabata holiday, I decided to write some short fics dedicated to my favorite canon couples. I only gave myself the rule that the fics have to be at least 700 words long (since Tanabata is on 7/7), but as a nod to the Tanabata story, there will be a theme of separation/reuniting to all the stories. This one's theme is a liiiittle more tenuous than the others will be just because I enjoyed the goofy atmosphere too much to make it too serious. ♡

One day, the candy people demand a new holiday, so Bonnibel gives them Exploding Lights Day. Her plan is to launch sugar lanterns into the sky and then shoot them down with an authentic party cannon. This is, quite obviously, just Bonnibel’s excuse to blow things up, and she takes to the idea with unsurprising gusto. The candy people aren’t sure this is the holiday they wanted, but Bonnibel tells them to be more specific next time, and until then, they’re getting Exploding Lights Day.

“I guess that’s fair,” says Starchy.

“I’ll get the helmets,” Peppermint Butler chirps.

Unfortunately, when Bonnibel and Marceline test out the exploding part, the resulting shrapnel isn’t quite as small as Bonnibel was anticipating and a thick shard ends up wedged into her arm.

“Ow,” she says. More displeased with her calculations than concerned with the pain, she pulls out a notebook to stare her numbers into submission while Marceline sighs and floats into the house for the bandages.

While her arm is tended to, Bonnibel says, “Thanks, Marcy.”

“Maybe a music festival would be, uh, safer.”

“I can make Exploding Lights Day safe.”

“Um.”

“Are you saying I can’t make Exploding Lights Day safe, Marceline?”

“I wish you heard yourself sometimes. Just sometimes. So you’d know what it sounds like when you say things.”

This sets Bonnibel on a truly legendary pout, so Marceline rolls her eyes and kisses her forehead. “Yes, I think you can make Unnecessary Property Damage Day safe.”

“Thank you,” Bonnibel says sweetly. “All I wanted was a little show of support. Now kindly reload the cannon while I adjust the trajectory.”

No one is wounded by the next attempt, but only because Marceline takes bat form and makes Bonnibel sit on her back far outside the range of the exploding lanterns. The fragments are still too dangerously large and sharp, and now some of the pieces are also somehow on fire.

“You know what’s super fun to celebrate?” Marceline muses.

“Science?”

“Pillows. Kittens. Guitar picks.”

“I’m not launching kittens into the sky, Marcy. Unless we have parachutes. Aw, man, that’d be cute as all bananas. Hm. I don’t think I’ve ever made a parachute. Have you?”

Marceline places her face firmly between her hands, and even her floating seems frustrated. “I—don’t even know where to start.” She lets her arms dangle for a second, eyeing her girlfriend for a long second while Bonnibel scribbles a picture of a kitten in a parachute into her notebook. “You’re making me be the adult in this relationship, Bonnie, and you know how I feel about that.”

Bonnibel says, “Yep. Uh huh.”

“Bonnie.”

“Uh huh.”

“Bonnibel.”

“Yeah.”

Marceline narrows her eyes, then narrows her tongue into a long forked ribbon and hisses.

Bonnibel hums.

“ _BONNIE!_ ”

Bonnibel smiles and bops Marceline on the head with the notebook. “Ready for attempt number three?”

Marceline pretends to think about it for a second, then says, “Nah. This holiday is bunk and I’m not gonna help you get yourself all jacked up just ‘cos the candy people are bored. Again. Come get me when you’re done ripping holes through yourself.”

It’s tricky to flounce when you’re airborne, but Marceline does what she can with a sharp curve up through the clouds. Below, Bonnibel calls her name in exasperation.

Of course, Marceline doesn’t go far. She finds some abandoned castle ruins close to the test site and sits on top of a mostly-intact turret to sulk. She hasn’t entirely made her peace with the amount of time Bonnibel spends on others, but she’s trying. She offers to help. She offers to keep her company, even when what Bonnibel is doing is so boring she falls asleep.

“Committed relationships are the _worst_.“

Marceline says, “Hey, LSP,” without lifting her chin from her knee. In the distance, she hears another lantern explode.

Lumpy Space Princess hovers next to her with a huff.

Marceline waits.

Lumpy Space Princess clears her throat.

“What’s up, LSP?” Marceline asks.

“Ugh. _Finally._ Okay, so listen. To. _This_. I was with that dank Lemongrab and he was all like, ‘I don’t _know_ when we met, LSP, because I’m a big flipping _loser_ , and then _I_ was like, ‘Well then that’s _fine_ ‘cos I don’t wanna see _you_ again _ever!_ ’ And he. Got. MAD. At me!”

Marceline hums.

“I mean, you remember when you met Bubblegum, right?!”

“I do, yeah.”

“See! _See!_ Ugh, what a total numb bucket.”

“Total.”

“I’m _through_ with numb buckets.”

“Right on.”

Lumpy Space Princess seems appeased, and she basks in the glow of being right for a few seconds before commenting, “You’re, like, super bumming me out, Marceline. Why do you look all gross and sad?”

“I’m not sad,” Marceline says.

“Yeah, uh huh.” Lumpy Space Princess floats in front of her and stares hard. “Are you, like, mad at Bubblegum?”

Marceline pushes her back by the forehead. “No.”

“You totally _are_ , though. What’d she do?”

Marceline shrugs. “Just dumb stuff. I mean, I was kind of mad before? I’m not really anymore. I’m just giving myself some time to unwind before I talk to her.”

Lumpy Space Princess frowns. “Uh. O…kay. Wwwhy?”

“‘Cos I say mean stuff when I’m mad.”

“That’s dumb. Just, like, don’t.”

Marceline resists the urge to roll her eyes. “Thanks, LSP.”

“No prob, Marcy.”

With the topic of relationships covered, Lumpy Space Princess moves on to the hot goss she’s collected over the past few weeks since they last spoke, and Marceline is amused to hear that Flame Princess is trying to build a flameproof waterpark in the Fire Kingdom. They’re distracted by an odd squeaking sound rising through the clouds and Marceline raises her eyebrows when Bonnibel appears on a flying, pedal-powered umbrella-cycle.

“Would—you—please—choose—lower—places—to—sulk?”

Bonnibel’s hair, previously up in a neat bun, has mostly tumbled out of the tie keeping it together, and her face is red with exertion. Marceline has mercy on her and floats over. She takes Bonnibel’s arm and lifts her off the seat.

“No—wait!”

Too late, the umbrella-cycle, robbed of its power source, goes gently careening toward the ground.

“Oops,” Marceline says. “LSP, would you mind?”

“Ugh, _fine_.” With a stream of grumbling, Lumpy Space Princess sails down through the clouds after the recreational-transportation-device-turned-aerial-weapon.

Bonnibel uses the time to climb her girlfriend, winding her legs around Marceline’s waist and hooking both arms around her neck. Marceline holds her up with amusement.

“So,” Bonnibel says. “First of all, I’d like to offer you a three-point apology, followed by a kiss and an invitation to tea sans distractions or science.“

Marceline considers that. “Why are distractions and science different categories?” she asks.

Bonnibel narrows her eyes. “Marcy,” she says with warning coloring her voice.

“I got your stupid thing,” Lumpy Space Princess grunts, her arms straining as she struggles with the weight of it.

“Thanks, LSP,” Bonnibel says. “Can you put it on the ground?”

“ _What?_ ”

“Well, I don’t really need it anymore.”

Marceline bounces Bonnibel in her arms a few times just for kicks and Bonnibel laughs with a shriek, clinging on tighter.

Lumpy Space Princess lets out a soul-deep, “ _Uuuuuuugh!_ ” and returns in the direction she just came from with the umbrella cycle whipping a jagged hole through the clouds.

“Tea, huh?” Marceline prompts.

“It’s got rooibos in it. It’s kind of red. Well, it was. It definitely is now since I augmented the color a bit. I think you’ll like it.”

“What about Exploding Lights Day?”

“Still happening, but maybe we’ll just use fireworks.”

“Good plan.”


End file.
